| “ | A wizard is never late, my king. Nor is he early. He arrives precisely when he means to. | „ |
| ~ Merlin |
Merlin Ambrosius, true name being Myrddin Emrys was a legendary archmage, druid and bard that was the mentor of King Arthur as well as the adopted father of the dragon known as Derous who would join the paranormal organization known as the Nightstalkers in the modern era.
Overview[]
The powerful wizard is depicted with many magical powers, including the power of shapeshifting. He is well-known in mythology as a tutor and mentor to many kings and queens, including the legendary King Arthur, ultimately guiding him towards becoming the king of Camelot.
While these general tales are well-known, Merlin’s initial appearances were only somewhat linked to Arthur. It took many decades of adaptations before Merlin became the wizard of Arthurian legend he is known as today.
History[]
Background[]
Merlin was the illegitimate son of a monastic Royal Princess of Dyfed. The lady's father, however, King Meurig ap Maredydd ap Rhain, is not found in the traditional pedigrees of this kingdom and was probably a sub-King of the region bordering on Ceredigion.
Merlin's father, was said to be either an angel who had visited the Royal nun and left her with child or an incubus, an evil spirit that has intercourse with the sleeping women. The evil child was supposed to provide a counterweight to the good influence of Jesus Christ on earth. Merlin, fortunately, was baptized early on in his life, an event which is said to have negated the evil in his nature, but left his powers intact.
During his younger years, he met and fell in love with Viviane, one of the Maidens of the Lake and the half-sister of Nimue. The two consorted for some time before separating, possibly due to their commitments towards their tasks. However, unbeknownst to Merlin, Viviane was pregnant with his child who then fathered another child during the years. This grandchild of Merlin was Ástrid, who would become Arthur's guide in the far future.
Visions[]
Merlin would become something an advisor to kings and queens, hoping to guide them on a righteous path. However, there have been instances where these great rulers would grow mad with power from the wisdom they were given by Merlin, something which the wizard regrets deeply. Not only was he known among mortals but also immortals like the Fae. In fact, Merlin would become a medium between humans and Fae, especially since both races held each other in high resentment and animosity.
Before the sacrifice could take place, Merlin used his great visionary powers and attributed the structural problem to a subterranean pool in which lived a red and a white dragon. The meaning of this, according to Merlin, was that the red dragon represented the Britons, and the white dragon, the Saxons. The dragons fought, with the white dragon having the best of it, at first, but then the red dragon drove the white one back. Until he saw a black dragon encompass the battlefield of the two dragons with a witch who was "ostracized by both mortal and immortal" leading the black dragon and its black knight to take the lands and have the black dragon reach its head into the Heavens as the black knight leads the spirits into conquering the mortal realm.
Merlin, shook by the visions, hurried his way to Avalon and informed the two monarchs, Oberon and Titania, of the visions he received. The vision involved the threat both Morgan Le Fay and Vortigern posing as a threat to not just Great Briton but also by extension the realm of the Fae. The black dragon symbolized Vortigern, the witch was Morgan and the black knight was Mordred. The black dragon subduing the white and red dragon was Vortigern using the power and knowledge obtained to conquer the Britons and the Saxons under his heel. Vortigern would permit Morgan Le Fay to unite the Fae against other kingdoms of man who oppose both her and Vortigern.
As such, Oberon and Titania conspired with Merlin to construct a great weapon wielded by the Pendragon bloodline to oppose Vortigern's rule and Morgan Le Fay's darkness. The weapon became known as Excalibur, and by the time Excalibur was completed with the combined efforts Oberon, Merlin and the archangel Gabriel who was disguised as a man in linen, it was given to the latest king of the Pendragon family. The Lady of the Lake was said to have bound the sword to the blood of the Pendragons at Merlin's request. Throughout all this, however, Merlin did not disclose information regarding his involvement in Morgan Le Fay's rise to power as she was his his greatest and most prized student at the time. As such, Merlin's contributions in Morgan's defeat was a path of penance and redemption for his actions.
Aid to the King[]
After Arthur's birth, Merlin became the young boy's tutor, while he grew up with his foster-father, Sir Ector known as Cynyr Ceinfarfog (the Fair Bearded). In the defining moment of Arthur's career, Merlin arranged for the sword-in-the-stone contest by which the lad became king. Later, the magician met the mystic Lady of the Lake at the Fountain of Barenton and persuaded her to present the King with the magical sword, Excalibur. Merlin is said to be the creator of the Knights of the Round Table, and is closely involved in aiding and directing the events of the king and kingdom of Camelot.
He is pictured at the end of Arthur's life, accompanying the wounded Arthur to the Isle of Avalon for the healing of his wounds. Others tell how having fallen deeply in love with Nimue, he agreed to teach her all his mystical powers. She became so powerful that her magical skills outshone even Merlin's. Determined not to be enslaved by him, she imprisoned the old man in a glass tower, a cave or similarly suitable prison.
Even though he is incarcerated, Merlin is able to create psychic projections to oversee the land. He was able to help Arthur by having his granddaughter Àstrid, a powerful mage in her own right, guide the king to his journey of victory. Merlin's astral form along with Àstrid aided in bringing Arthur's body to Avalon in order to be healed and brought back to reclaim the kingdom from Vortigern and prevent Morgan Le Fay from bringing ruin to both the Feywild and the human world.
Personality[]
Merlin is often described as quick to anger, and equally quick to laugh. His deep wisdom and compassion clearly derived from the patience he learned in the Otherworld, just as his care for all creatures of good will must have come from his strong sense of pity for the weak. Both his patience and sense of pity were revealed again and again, extending even to the servants of his enemies.
Viviane regards Merlin as brilliant in guiding future monarchs and understanding the workings of magic but naive when it comes to romantic relations. Specifically, his weakness is his vulnerability to emotional manipulation when in love, consequently leading to his downfall when Nimue imprisoned him within his own Glass Tower. Keen observers of Merlin often detected a veiled power, usually revealed in his eyes, which appeared deep and wise. He was alternately affectionate and brusque; he often surprised others with his bluntness when time was of the essence. Merlin consistently upbraided foolish behavior, but also richly rewarded those who acted with good intentions.
Powers and Abilities[]
Merlin is often listed as among the most powerful and accomplished sorcerers that ever lived, considered to be the greatest wizard of all time by many, deeply knowledgeable and also proficient in all areas of magic. He has also extensive knowledge of many languages and writing systems used in Europe, as well as in the history and customs of several of its peoples. He considers himself the greatest scholar of magic and the cultures of magical creatures. His knowledge and workings of magic has led to Morgan Le Fay becoming one of the mightiest witches to ever emerge to the point where many believed she rivaled her mentor although Merlin was still regarded as being more skilled.
He was considered the most powerful member of the Roundtable, as well as, according to its leader Galahad, not in small part thanks to his encyclopedic knowledge. He was also acknowledged as among the strongest of the White Council next to Galadriel and the Legendary Dark Knight, Sparda. Indeed, even Nimue herself acknowledged that Merlin posed a greater threat to her mission than Arthur even when the latter was armed with Excalibur. It was for that reason Nimue opted to imprison him inside his own tower.
His vast intelligence allows him to accurately guess the thoughts of others. His intelligence was especially evident through his tactical and strategic genius, proving himself capable of devising elaborate master plans that made him perhaps the preeminent architect of both Morgan and Vortigern's defeat. He is often noted to have extremely sharp eyes which can see not only into darkness, but also into the dimension of spirits, such as when he perceived the lingering effects of Excalibur's cursed scabbard on Nimue.